The boys soccer season kicks off today, Dec. 6, with the Falcons hosting North Points Prep at 6 p.m. Play continues on the home pitch tomorrow, Dec. 7, with another 6 p.m. match against the team from Benjamin Franklin.

According to head coach Matt Pugliano, this should be a good way to start what he expects to be a solid season. The Falcons went 8-4 last season, just missing entry into the state playoffs. That’s something the team hopes to correct this time around.

“We graduated 12 seniors, which is a big loss in a lot of key positions,” Pugliano said. “But this team brings back 12 experienced players along with a solid group of freshmen and a new transfer student.”

The Falcons have a roster of 21 this season including two keepers, a commodity the team hasn’t experienced in a while.

Pugliano said that the Falcons will be fast on offense this season, which he hopes will translate to plenty of goals.

“Speed is our big strength,” he added. “But thankfully we’ve also got a really good leader in one of our senior captains, Jesse Boersma. He comes out with a lot of experience as a four-year starter. We’ve got a really good sophomore class, too, who got a ton of experience last year. That’s another strength, really; that we’ve got a lot of on-field experience, not just a lot of soccer experience.”

Despite that experience, Pugliano said he expects the team to struggle a bit defensively.

“Both of our keepers are brand new, but they’ve been out working with me now for a month and they’ve grown by leaps and bounds,” Pugliano continued. “I’ve never seen two guys grow in their game so quickly.”

Looking ahead, Pugliano said the team is definitely looking to break into the playoffs this season.

“We hope to have a good push at the region this season,” Pugliano said. “Just about everybody is retooling this season.”

Pugliano said that he’s spent a lot of extra time with the team already this season, working with the newcomers to bring them up to speed.

“I’m teaching a lot of basics, and that’s good, but that can also take away from time working on the big team stuff,” he added. “So it’s going to be an interesting season.”

Pugliano said he’s already had fun working with the new girls head coach, Gary Shindler, and they’re both looking forward to growing the Falcon soccer program. As for the boys, he’s excited to see where the season takes them.

As for the fans, he said it’s going to be an especially exciting season for folks who want to see the Falcons light up the scoreboard.

“We’re going to score a lot of goals this year.”